Arts, Briefly; Al Qaeda Anthology

By EDWARD WYATT; Compiled by Ben Sisario

Published: January 24, 2005

Doubleday will publish a collection of the translated writings of Al Qaeda leaders next year and will donate profits from the book to charities that are aiding American victims of terrorism. The book, tentatively titled ''The Al Qaeda Reader,'' will consist of writings by Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al Qaeda's second in command, plus material attributed to Osama bin Laden. The material was discovered in the Library of Congress by Raymond Ibrahim, a Library of Congress specialist in Middle Eastern studies, who will translate the text. Stuart Applebaum, a spokesman for Random House Inc., Doubleday's parent, said the company had not yet determined which charities would receive profits from the book. Doubleday considers its use of the material to be ''fair use'' and therefore will not pay royalties, although it will make payments to the translator for the right to publish his work. EDWARD WYATT